Google Announces New Jobs Search, Google For Jobs

Google is weeks away from launching a job search that will give jobseekers unusual control over how to filter the results to best meet their needs.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced the forthcoming Google for Jobs at its developer conference today in Silicon Valley. “46 percent of U.S. employers say they face talent shortages and have issues filling open job positions,” Pichai said. “While jobseekers may be looking for openings right next door — there’s a big disconnect here.

“We want to better connect employers and job seekers through a new initiative, Google for Jobs.”

The video begins at the point where Pichai describes the new Google for Jobs.

The jobs search service pulls listings from across the Internet, providing access to millions of job postings. Searchers are presented first with matching jobs in their area. They can further refine the results by filtering in a number of ways including by job level, experience, title, full, or part-time, industry, and when the job was posted. A commute time filter will be added soon after launch, Pichai said.

Leveraging Google’s search depth, the results go well beyond keyword matching. In the example used by Pichai, a search for “retail jobs” will surface those where the employer used other words meaning the same thing, such as “clerk,” or “store manager.”

Companies that might be thought to be threatened by Google’s re-entry into job searching are partnering with the search giant. LinkedIn, Facebook, CareerBuilder, Monster, Glassdoor, and other career sites are sharing their listings.

According to a report by USA Today which got a preview of the service, when a searcher clicks into the results, they are taken to wherever the listing was found, and can apply there. That clearly is an advantage to a job board, by exposing its listings to Google’s immense traffic.

Pichai mentioned a one-click “Apply” button, but didn’t explain how it works.

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This isn’t the first time Google has ventured into jobs search. In the mid-2000s it launched a vertical search service called Google Base, that included classifieds, in addition to a dedicated jobs search. The program was quietly killed of some years later.

Now in addition to the new Google for Jobs, the company is also experimenting with an ATS-type of application for employers called Google Hire. Details are few; Google has released no specifics, but those who have seen the listings, suggest the product may be a commercialization of its self-built ATS.

The Google for Jobs service will initially be rolled out in the U.S. with other countries coming later.

John Zappe

John Zappe is the editor of TLNT.com and a contributing editor of ERE.net. John was a newspaper reporter and editor until his geek gene lead him to launch his first website in 1994. He developed and managed online newspaper employment sites and sold advertising services to recruiters and employers. Before joining ERE Media in 2006, John was a senior consultant and analyst with Advanced Interactive Media and previously was Vice President of Digital Media for the Los Angeles Newspaper Group.

Besides writing for ERE, John consults with staffing firms and employment agencies, providing content and managing their social media programs. He also works with organizations and businesses to assist with audience development and marketing. In his spare time he can be found hiking in the California mountains or competing in canine agility and obedience competitions.